be careful when fueling

[mattyboy]

one can never be to careful when fueling thoughts to all involved


on a side note i thought marine ventilation blowers were like marine starters and dist with protection from open sparks


http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/NYC-man-burned-in-Lake-George-boat-fire-6480356.php


http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/features/top-story/stories/crews-scene-lake-george-boat-explosion-28505.shtml

[Rob M]

That is tragic. It says 28 cruiser, I wonder if hatches somewhere other than the engine bay were open?

[murfman]

Thoughts and prayers out to the the boater and the dock hand, not the way to start a holiday weekend.

Blowers are spark protected, but if you leave them on while fueling, they can suck fumes into the bilge.

[Morgan's Cloud]

The scariest incident I ever had in a re-fuelling incident , in which 3 people would have been toast , was avoided by me actually inspecting the bilge visually and sniffing before hitting the key.

A blower would have made no difference whatsoever. None .

Blowers are like auto bilge pumps . They're nice to have but don't put your faith in them .

Still , and always , open those hatches and inspect and sniff before touching that key.

[yeller]

on a side note i thought marine ventilation blowers were like marine starters and dist with protection from open sparksAFAIK all blower motors are magnetic motors, so there are no brushes to spark




A blower would have made no difference whatsoever. None .
Personally sniffing for fumes is important. Were you having fuel issues that were beyond what a blower could overcome, because provided the ducting is set up properly, a blower should expel all fumes. I'm sure you know this, (but I have ran into people that don't), gas vapors are heavier than air, so it is critical that the blower duct is routed to the lowest part of the bilge.
Of course, if you have raw gas in the bilge, then that is a different story.

[chip w]

My thoughts are with both victims. What a terrible thing.

When end I was a teen I saw a boat being started while still in the slings explode. There was a family of 3 on board. They were all airlifted from Cayuga Lake in NY to the burn center in Syracuse. I never learned how they faired but 37 years later I can remember it like yesterday. I agree, there's always enough time to sniff around and double check before hitting the switch.

Thanks for for the reminder.

[Morgan's Cloud]

Personally sniffing for fumes is important. Were you having fuel issues that were beyond what a blower could overcome, because provided the ducting is set up properly, a blower should expel all fumes. I'm sure you know this, (but I have ran into people that don't), gas vapors are heavier than air, so it is critical that the blower duct is routed to the lowest part of the bilge.
Of course, if you have raw gas in the bilge, then that is a different story.


That's exactly what happened . The fuel fill hose had split open on an under floor bend and there was about 4 gallons of fresh high text in the bilge right under the engine .

[mattyboy]

the fuel systems in any boat that doesn't have ethanol compatible lines and hoses are under attack so failed hoses are a real threat.

the other issue is with older boats like ours is a tank failure i saw this on the 72 cig which we had inspected and tested during the resto a few years later the alum tank's bottom failed after putting 40 gallons of gas in it on the trailer it dumped right to the bilge and then out the plug leaving a trail thru town can only think how that would have worked out on the water .

[Ed Donnelly]

The Criterion SS has an explosion meter right from the factory.
Ran the blower for 2 minutes then turned the key meter set off an alarm.
Found a small leak at the carbs secondary fuel bowl gasket....Ed